


The End of an Era

by Janeway69



Series: The End of an Era [1]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies)
Genre: A Kiss, Angst, Bad at tagging, F/M, Gen, Male Friendship, Medical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25901395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janeway69/pseuds/Janeway69
Summary: Set right after the events Skyfall.  M is unconscious in the hospital,  James can't settle until he sees her.Tanner is looking out for his people!
Relationships: James Bond & Bill Tanner, James Bond/M, James Bond/M | Olivia Mansfield
Series: The End of an Era [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909966
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the start of my new series. I have them all planned out but not all written....yet!
> 
> Thank you again to [ tayryn ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/pseuds/tayryn) for being my beta...you're a 🌟
> 
> I literally own nothing, I'm just playing with them .

Bond. James Bond. British Intelligence. MI6.

Spy extraordinaire. A Double O with a licence to kill. 

She had made him what he was today - her blunt instrument.

Presently, he was no use to anyone. 

To anyone passing by he was an exhausted man looking more than a little worse for wear. His gaze was unfocused, eyes bloodshot, his hands wrapped around a cold, vending machine coffee, clearly untouched.

His mind was another matter entirely. His thoughts with her, with M. His boss. The woman he now realised meant more to him than anything.

M was undergoing surgery. She’d been shot; he hadn’t known. She'd said nothing.

He thought he’d lost her. She had died in his arms in his family’s Chapel. But Kincade had pushed him out of the way and began CPR. 

After that, it all was a blur. Tanner and Mallory appeared from nowhere. He recalled a helicopter, being told he was in shock. M on a stretcher, air being pumped into a lungs. Now he was here, he assumed, in a hospital. Now he was waiting...just waiting.

“Bond?” A name and a voice. “Bond?” The voice was familiar. “James?” His name. A gentle touch on his shoulder. “James?” It was Bill Tanner and he was talking...to him he realised.

“She’s out of surgery...” James could see Tanner’s mouth moving. He was trying to understand. “ICU.”

“What?” For the first time in hours, James spoke, his voice croaky and tired. Bloodshot eyes now focused on Tanner and what he was saying.

Hand on his shoulder still, Tanner spoke again, “M is out of surgery, they removed the bullet and stone fragments. She’s doing okay.” 

James swallowed, starting to understand what was being said. “She’s okay?” 

Tanner nodded at James’ question. “She’s in ICU. She still has a long way to go. The Doctor said he'll feel more confident about her condition once she makes it through the next 24 to 48 hours.”

“I want to see her!” James stood, his demand stopping Tanner from saying anymore. James began looking for the sign for the ICU.

“James...James look at me!” Tanner had James by the shoulders trying to gain his attention once more. “Look at me, James!” 

James was aware he was breathing heavily. He had to see her, see his M.

Tanner was speaking to him again. “James...I’ve arranged for you to see her, to see M...” 

“Yes! Where?” James could feel his heart racing. 

“James!” Tanner shook him. “James, you can see her but it’s on the condition that a Doctor has to look you over first.” 

James was shaking his head. “No!” 

“Yes James, if you want to see M, you need to let the doctor make sure you’re okay.” 

His head still shaking no, his eyes darting all over. 

“James Bond!” James was now looking at Tanner. “M needs you to see the doctor!” Tanner’s voice was firm. 

“M?” 

“Yes James, M! She needs you! She needs you to be well and okay and then you can see her, okay?” 

James was nodding at Tanner. “Okay, for M.”

“Good! When the Doctor is finished. I’ll be back to take you to her, okay?” James nodded, then Tanner indicated to the waiting doctor nearby.

Releasing a slow breath, Bill Tanner watched as James Bond was led to a nearby room by the Doctor. Aware that someone was now standing by his side, Bill turned to look at Gareth Mallory.

“You did well, Bill. That didn’t look easy.” Mallory looked at him once he saw Bond was being seen too. 

“He’s in shock,” Bill told him. “It’ll kill him if she doesn’t make it.” Bill noted that Mallory was nodding in agreement. 

“He loves her?” Mallory asked. 

Bill nodded. “Yeah. Although I don’t think anyone has told James yet.” 

“And M?” Mallory asked. 

Bill gave him a sad smile. “Yes, but she’s just as unaware as he is!”

~~007 & M~~

As promised, Tanner had returned to collect James and take him to ICU. The Doctor reassured him that James had no major internal injuries, but he was extremely exhausted, dehydrated and in need of food. James had also been hooked up to an IV so they could get some much needed fluids into him. Tanner promised to make sure he was fed and that he rested.

When James and Tanner walked into the ICU, they were met by a nurse, who kindly showed them to M's private room.

Once inside the doorway, James pulled his IV pole with him, going straight to M's side. If James was unnerved by the tubes and machinery, Tanner couldn’t tell.

Tanner watched as James touched her hand, caressed her cheek, and bent to whisper in her ear.

Feeling as if he were intruding on a private moment, Tanner looked to the window until he heard James shuffle over to the nearby padded, leather chair.

“If you need me, I’ll be here.” 

James was clearly talking to him, but his gaze remained on M. Tanner knew he should protest, but he also knew it would be a pointless exercise.

Sighing, Tanner looked over at James, about to ask if he needed anything. James was now slumped in the chair, his body facing M, his breathing indicating he was sound asleep.

“Sleep well James. M.” His eyes took them both in. “I’ll be back later.” Tanner turned, then left the room and went to talk to the duty nurse.

As he drew closer, the nurse looked up and smiled. “All okay?”

Returning her smile, Tanner nodded. “He’s probably in there for the duration of her stay...” 

“Her husband?” asked the nurse. 

Giving her another smile, Tanner shook his head. “Not yet anyway!” 

She just nodded at him. 

“If you could make sure he’s fed and watered please, I’d appreciate it.” 

“Of course!” 

Tanner handed her his mobile number and asked her to call him at any time, for any reason. Tanner nodded his thanks, glanced back at M's room, then left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading,...comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, not to mention a balm to my soul.


	2. Chapter 2

When Tanner arrived at the hospital on Friday afternoon it was to find M awake and slightly elevated into a sitting position in her bed. James was not in his chair by her bedside.

Tanner beamed at her when he entered her room.

“You’re awake!” he said, glancing about the room. 

M noticed.

“Apparently...” Her voice was tired and croaky, but she had water nearby with a pink straw, just waiting for her. “What are you looking for, Bill?” M was now looking around the room she occupied.

“Bond,” Tanner told her, as if it were obvious. 

“Bond? Why would Bond be here?” M asked her Chief of Staff, her voice quiet but clearly, she thought it was absurd that Bond would be present.

“He hasn’t left the hospital since you were admitted.” Tanner watched his boss as her brow furrowed in confusion. Before she could ask anything more, Tanner decided he’d speak with the nurse.

“I’ll be back, I just want to check in with the nurse about Bond.” Tanner smiled and nodded at M, then turned and walked out of the room.

'Check in about Bond?’ M wondered if he was okay. There was a small niggle at the back of her mind as if something had happened, but she couldn’t bring it forth. 

M gave the room another look, not finding anything that would suggest anyone had been there. Sighing, M closed her eyes and was soon back into a deep sleep.

~~007 & M~~

Tanner entered the private room to find James Bond lying fully clothed on the bed, his IV pole with fluid drip at the bedside, flicking through TV channels.

He’d only found him after speaking with the nurse. She’d told Tanner that as soon as M had started to wake, James had left the room and asked that M not be told about his bedside vigil or that he was still in the hospital!

Without looking at Tanner, James spoke, “Found me, then.” His voice quiet. 

“It wasn’t difficult. The nurse told me where she put you and pointed me in the right direction.” Tanner moved to sit in the chair by the bed, suddenly feeling very tired. 

He might not have been present at the hospital over the last two days, but he’d been in constant contact, wanting updates on both M and Bond, as well as doing his ‘101 daily tasks'.

Tanner was unsure how long they sat watching each channel James flicked onto before moving to the next. But neither seemed willing to break the silence just yet.

After several more minutes, James cleared his throat before speaking.

“How is she?” Still, he did not look away from the TV.

Tanner looked over at James. “She was awake when I arrived, though rather groggy. But she’s sleeping again now. The nurse said it was the best thing for her.”

James nodded. “Good!”

Tanner shook his head with a little frustration.

“I asked M where you were; she obviously had no clue that you’d been there at her side.” This seemed to get James’ full attention and he finally settled his gaze on Tanner.

“You told her?” James’ head rested against the pillow, but there was no annoyance in his question.

“I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to.”

James gave a tired nod at that and looked back to the TV.

"I kissed her," James said, after they'd fallen into a comfortable silence.

Bill looked over at James, not really sure why he was sharing this.

"...and she kissed me back. She'd just woke up." James still did not move to look at Tanner. 

Tanner turned back to look at the TV when he asked, "The nurse?" There seemed to be an old episode of The Good Life on.

"No...M." 

Confused, Bill looked back at James, only to find that James was watching him. "M?" James indicated nothing. Then, pieces of what James was saying now made sense.

"You kissed M?"

James nodded. 

Tanner wondered if James thought he’d be shocked. Surprisingly, Tanner wasn’t. "And she kissed you back?" 

Another nod. 

"I spoke with her before I found you, she didn't seem to know that you were in the hospital, never mind that you kissed her."

James looked back at the TV. "She was just waking up; I was so relieved that I... just… kissed her." James rubbed a hand over his face.

Bill wasn't sure what to say but then again, maybe James just needed to talk and have someone listen.

"The next thing I know, her tongue is in my mouth and her hand is in my hair! When we parted, the way she said my name..." James was shaking his head and gave a small mirthless laugh. "...she then promptly fell back to sleep!"

Both men fell into comfortable silence again, until James broke it.

"I don't know what to do." 

Bill didn't think he'd ever heard James so unsure of himself.

Bill stood and looked at James "Yes you do." James started to disagree, but Bill kept talking. "You're just nervous about the next step and what it will mean for your future..." Bill moved to the door and started to open it but turned back to James. "This whole incident has pretty much guaranteed her retirement." Bill gave James a small smile, which he returned.

"The end of an era." James sighed.

Bill nodded. "Yes...but maybe the start of something new." With that, Bill left the room and James to his potential future.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading,...comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, not to mention a balm to my soul.


End file.
